Panera Bread makes major menu changes to win back customers

Popular fast-casual chain Panera Bread has had a challenging last few years. While critics and customers widely suggest that its struggles began in 2017, when the brand was acquired by JAB Holding Co., others point out mistakes the chain made much earlier. 

What's caused major frustration among customers in recent years is the removal of on-site bakers and the transition from fresh to frozen dough, leading to complaints that the food quality now mirrors what customers could buy at a grocery store.  

However, the chain’s perceived decline isn't linked to just one change, but rather a long series of strategic shifts and controversies, including: 

• Loss of brand identity: JAB diluted Panera’s identity by adding other brands.
• Labor reductions: Massive cuts to front-of-house labor left cafes feeling understaffed.  
• Quality versus price gap: Patrons have complained of shrinking portions and declining food quality while prices continued to rise. 
• Public scandals: Charged Lemonade lawsuits involving alleged deaths sparked a PR crisis.
  Source: Daily Meal 

Panera’s own CFO, Paul Carbone, confirmed that the company made many mistakes, including staff reductions. 

“We took a lot of labor out of the restaurants, and all out of the front-of-the-house,” Carbone told Nation’s Restaurant News in November 2025.

To fix these issues, the company has introduced a multi-year strategy called Panera RISE. The goal is to reach $7 billion in sales by 2028 by repairing what leadership calls "death by 1,000 cuts." 

Panera Bread's Salad Stuffer platform transforms any salad into a sandwich 

Panera Bread announced on April 8 its latest menu innovation: Salad Stuffers or “a bread bowl for your salad.” The idea is to transform Panera’s signature salads into something completely  different, according to the press release. 

The chain, famous for its iconic soup bread bowl, tested serving salad inside a new, soft Italian Stuffer Roll, and said it performed well during testing. 

“We’re thrilled to bring this innovative menu category nationwide — our guests who tested Salad Stuffers couldn’t get enough of our new Italian Stuffer Roll paired with new, bold salad flavors,” stated Chief Marketing Officer Mark Shambura.

Salad Stuffer platform highlights: 

• How it works: You can turn any salad on the menu into a “Stuffer.” 

• New Flavors: Panera also created two specific options just for this launch.
  Steakhouse Salad Stuffer: Marinated sliced steak, smoked bacon, gorgonzola,  and veggies with ranch dressing. Santa Fe Salad Stuffer: Grilled chicken, taco seasoning, corn, feta, and tortilla strips with ranch.
• Availability: These are available now at Panera locations nationwide for dine-in, pick-up, or delivery.
• Price:  From $8 to $13. 
  Sources: Panera Bread, Restaurant Dive

“Just like soup in our bread bowl is the perfect match, Salad Stuffers bring salad and bread together in a way that is sure to be the next icon on the Panera menu,” Shambura added. 

Panera is betting on value offerings just like McDonald’s 

While value and pricing are not the only factors impacting consumers' behaviors, they remain at the forefront of consumers’ minds, according to McKinsey & Company.  

Many fast-food chains and restaurants now feel obligated to implement significant value resets. I recently reported on McDonald’s strategic push to attract price-sensitive diners by introducing a selection of menu items all priced at $3 or below.

Related: Burger King’s menu adds wild new take on the classic burger

Panera’s Salad Stuffers range from $8 to $13, a Panera spokesperson wrote in an email to Restaurant Dive.  

“This menu balance echoes similar strategies at chains, like McDonald’s, Papa Johns and Wendy’s, that offer premium items alongside low-priced options. Value options are helping get guests in the door, who often upgrade to more premium items,” according to Restaurant Dive’s Julie Littman. 

And earlier this year, Panera added a Mix & Match value menu, where customers can choose from 10 different items for $4.99 each. The menu features smaller portions of popular soups, salads, and sandwiches, which all come with a side of bread, chips, or an apple.

“With the Mix & Match Menu, Panera is introducing the first value menu of its kind — one that doesn’t require compromise and makes it easy for guests to combine quality, craveable selections into a meal that truly satisfies at a great value,” Shambura stated at the time. 

Panera’s recent moves under its RISE strategy: ‘No one dislikes us’ 

New value offerings are part of the company’s multi-year turnaround RISE strategy. 

“In this case, the “I” in the RISE acronym stands for 'Ignite Value,' which means creating a barbell menu of more accessible price points and premium options,” writes Nation’s Restaurant News. 

Regaining consumer confidence is challenging. I recently reported on Target’s multiple tries to win back that trust, though the two scenarios are quite different. 

Kieva Hranchuk, assistant professor and consumer behavior expert at Brock University, argues that Panera’s struggles go deeper than its recipes. “They’re not fighting a sandwich problem. They’re fighting a confidence problem,” Hranchuk told The Spokesman Review.

“When you’re in a saturated market, if you lose trust, you’re done. A comeback is possible, but it will be a lot of hard work. It’s not a simple fix," Hranchuk added.

However, Panera’s CFO, Paul Carbone, believes that the brand has a good chance for a strong comeback, because it didn’t cause serious backlash among consumers. 

“The good news is we’re still relevant. No one dislikes us. They’ve just either forgotten about us, we’ve become too expensive, we’ve become too inconsistent. But no one dislikes us. This is an amazing, amazing brand and it can be that again,” Carbone told Nation’s Restaurant News in November 2025. 

Panera enhances MyPanera rewards program 

Earlier this year, I reported about another of Panera’s efforts to regain consumer loyalty under a new transformation plan. The fast-casual giant unveiled the enhanced MyPanera rewards program, under which it would offer a more transparent, points-based system. 

MyPanera Rewards highlights:

• Predictable earning: Earn 10 points for every $1 spent, replacing the previous "surprise" reward model.
• Member choice: Users now select their own rewards and receive personalized bonus-point offers and tailored deals.
• Regional pilot: Rolling out early 2026 across 2,016 locations, including markets in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Seattle, and Wyoming.
• MyPanera+ Tier: A new premium level for Unlimited Sip Club members or customers who spend at least $300 annually.

Since data shows that 78% of customers will go out of their way for a loyalty program, according to Voucherify, the company believes this enhancement is key to supporting their ambitious growth goals.

Related: Another popular fried chicken chain closes locations